Martinez hints he could quit Argentina duty after World Cup final loss

Emi Martinez has revealed that is considering his international future following Argentina's loss in the World Cup final, saying he must decide whether it is now "time to step aside".

The Aston Villa goalkeeper was a colossus in Argentina's triumph in Qatar four years ago during an epic penalty shootout victory over France and again on Sunday, where he kept Spain at bay until extra-time. Ferran Torres eventually beat Martinez to deny Argentina the chance to make history with successive World Cup titles.

Martinez is the latest Argentina star to send a message to supporters on social media after the heartbreaking defeat.

And the 33-year-old, who has won 67 caps for his country, has hinted that Sunday's game in New Jersey could end up being his final international appearance.

“I dreamt we'd win it again, I dreamt of bringing it back to Argentina and making history once more,” Martinez wrote in a post on Instagram.

“The truth is, the pain is hard to explain. There are many things to reflect on and how to move forward, and if it's time to step aside.

“I'm so sorry, I truly tried my best to help my country and my team-mates.”

Argentina and Martinez were left up against it when the Chelsea midfielder, Enzo Fernandez, was shown a red card in the final minutes of regulation time. They eventually succumbed to Spanish pressure in extra-time but had been under the pump all game, failing to register a single effort on goal until the 116th minute.

The aftermath of the game was marred by ugly scenes as Argentine frustration boiled over, with Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes both lashing out at opponents.

Their behaviour was condemned by Wayne Rooney, who argued that their conduct in previous games hardly made their poor reaction a surprise. The BBC pundit said: “Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. We've seen this with Argentina before.

“It's just not the reaction you want. We've seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round. That's just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's really poor from them.”